John to the seven churches in Asia, blessing and peace to you from him who is and was and is coming, and from the seven spirits before his throne,

"I am the Alpha and the Omega." says the Lord God, who is and was and is coming, the Almighty.

I turned to see whose voice it was that was speaking to me, and when I turned I saw seven gold lampstands,

his feet were like bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the noise of mighty waters.

the living one. I was dead, yet here I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys of death and the underworld.

I know where you live; where Satan has his throne! Yet you cling to my name and did not renounce your faith in me even in the days when my faithful Antipas, my witness, was put to death among you??here Satan lives.

Afterward I had another vision: There was a door standing open in the heavens and the first voice like a trumpet that I had heard speak to me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place."

The one who was seated on it looked like jasper and sardius, and around the throne was a halo of the color of an emerald.

In front of the throne was what looked like a sea of glass, like crystal. Around the throne, in the middle of each side, were four animals covered with eyes in front and behind.

The first animal was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man's, and the fourth was like an eagle flying.

The four animals have each of them six wings, and they are covered with eyes all over and underneath their wings. And day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and is and is coming."

Then I saw lying in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a roll with writing on both sides, sealed with seven seals.

He came and took the roll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

saying in a loud voice, "The Lamb that was slaughtered deserves to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing."

Then I saw a white horse, and its rider carried a bow. He was given a crown, and he rode forth as a victor to conquer.

And another horse came forth, bright red, and its rider was given power to take peace away from the earth, and make men slaughter one another; he was given a great sword.

And there I saw a horse the color of ashes, and its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. They were given power over one quarter of the earth, to kill the people with sword, famine, death, and the wild animals of the earth.

Then each of them was given a white robe and they were told to be quiet a little while longer, until the number of their fellow-slaves and their brothers, who were to be killed as they had been, should be complete.

When he broke the sixth seal I saw that there was a great earthquake. The sun turned black as sackcloth; the full moon became like blood;

the sky was torn apart and rolled up like a roll; and every mountain and island was dislodged from its place.

I heard that the number of those that were marked with the seal was 144,000. They were from every tribe of the children of Israel:

When he broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

Then another angel with a gold censer came and stood at the altar, and he was given a great quantity of incense so that he might mingle it with the prayers of all the saints on the altar of gold that stood before the throne.

The first blew his trumpet, and there was a storm of hail and fire mixed with blood, and it fell upon the earth, and one third of the earth was burned up, and one third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and what looked like a great mountain ablaze with fire was thrown into the sea, and one third of the sea turned into blood,

Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one third of the sun was blasted, and one third of the moon and one third of the stars, so that one third of them were darkened, and there was no light for one third of the day and of the night.

Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen on the earth from the sky. He was given the key to the pit of the abyss,

They were not allowed to kill anyone, but only to torture them for five months, and the torture they inflicted was like that caused by a scorpion when it stings a man.

their breasts were like iron breast-plates, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of a great number of chariots and horses rushing into battle.

They had tails and stings like scorpions; it was in their tails that their power lay to harm men for five months.

Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the corners of the altar of gold that was before God

The number of the hosts of horsemen was twice 10,000 times 10,000; I heard their number.

And this was how the horses and their riders looked in my vision: Their breast-plates were fire red, dark blue, and yellow. The horses' heads were like lions' heads, and fire, smoke, and sulphur poured from their mouths.

Yet what was left of mankind, those who escaped being killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands and give up worshiping demons and gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wooden idols, which cannot either see or hear or move,

Then I saw another mighty angel descend from heaven. He was clothed in a cloud, and a rainbow encircled his head. His face was like the sun, his legs were like pillars of fire,

When the seven thunders had spoken I was going to write it down, but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said! Do not write it down!"

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who worship there,

and their bodies will lie in the street of the great city that is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt??here their Lord also was crucified.

At that moment there was a great earthquake, and one tenth of the city was destroyed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were filled with awe, and acknowledged the glory of the God of heaven.

Then the temple of God in heaven was thrown open, and the chest containing his agreement was seen inside the temple, and there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a great storm of hail.

She was soon to have a child, and she cried out with pain and agony in giving birth to it.

Another portent appeared in the sky??here was a great fire-red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven diadems on his heads.

His tail swept away one third of the stars of heaven and flung them down upon the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth to a child in order to devour her child as soon as it was born.

She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to shepherd all the heathen with a staff of iron; and her child was caught up to God, to his throne.

Then the woman fled into the desert, where there was a place prepared by God for her, where she was to be taken care of for 1,260 days.

but they were defeated, and there was no place for them any longer in heaven.

So the great dragon, the ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world, was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.

But the woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to her place in the desert, where she is to be taken care of for a time, times, and a half-time, on account of the serpent.

So the dragon was enraged at the woman, and he went off to make war on the rest of her children??hose who obey God's commands and adhere to the testimony of Jesus.

The animal I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave it his own power and his throne and great authority.

It was allowed to utter great boasts and blasphemies, and to exert authority for forty-two months.

It was allowed to make war on God's people and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

And I heard a sound from heaven, like the sound of great waters, and loud peals of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps.

And another angel came out of the temple and cried in a loud voice to him who was seated on the cloud, "Use your sickle and reap. The time has come to reap, for the earth's harvest is ripe."

So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

and the temple was filled with smoke from the glory and power of God, and no one could go into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were over.

The fourth emptied his bowl upon the sun, and it was allowed to scorch mankind with its heat,

The fifth emptied his bowl upon the animal's throne, and its kingdom was plunged in darkness, and men gnawed their tongues in anguish

Then there were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder, and there was a great earthquake; there has never been such an earthquake since man first existed upon the earth, it was so great.

huge hailstones of immense weight fell on mankind from heaven, and men reviled God because of the plague of hail, the plague of it was so terrible.

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and glittered with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She had in her hand a gold cup full of accursed things, and the impurities of her immorality.

On her forehead there was written a name that was symbolic: "Mighty Babylon, mother of idolatresses and of earth's abominations."

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's people, and the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her I was perfectly amazed,

The animal that you saw was, and is no more; it is going to come up out of the abyss, but it is to go to destruction. The inhabitants of the earth, whose names from the foundation of the world have not been written in the book of life, will be amazed when they see that the animal was, and is no more, and yet is to come.

So must it be with the animal that was, and is no more. It is also an eighth king, although it is one of the seven, and it is to go to destruction.

"The waters that you saw," he said to me, "on which the idolatrous woman was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.

and say, 'Alas! Alas for the great city that was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and glittered with gold, precious stones, and pearls,

and cried out when they saw the smoke from her burning, 'What city was like the great city?'

and in you was found the blood of prophets, God's people, and all who have been slaughtered on the earth."

Then the twenty-four elders and the four animals fell down and worshiped God who was seated upon the throne. "Amen!" they said, "Praise the Lord!"

Then I saw heaven thrown open and there appeared a white horse. His rider was called Faithful and True, and he judges and wages war in uprightness.

His eyes blazed like fire. There were many diadems on his head, and there was a name written on him which no one knew but himself.

The garment he wore was spattered with blood, and his name was the Word of God.

Then I saw the animal and the kings of the earth and their armies gather to make war on him who was mounted upon the horse and upon his army.

And the animal was captured and with it the false prophet who performed wonders on its behalf by means of which he led astray those who had let the animal's mark be put on them and who worshiped its statue. Both of them were flung alive into the fiery lake of burning brimstone.

and the devil who led them astray was flung into the fiery, sulphurous lake, where the animal and the false prophet were, there to be tortured day and night forever and ever.

I saw the dead, high and low, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened; it was the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books about what they had done.

Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was flung into the fiery lake.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

The city was a square, its length the same as its breadth. He measured the city with his rod, and it was 12,000 furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height were the same.

He measured the wall and it was about 144 cubits (216 feet), as men measure, for that was the way the angel measured.

The material of the wall was jasper, but the city was pure gold, as transparent as glass.

The foundation stones of the wall of the city were ornamented with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation stone was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,

The twelve gates were twelve pearls; each gate made of a single pearl. The principal street of the city was pure gold, as transparent as glass.

It was I, John, who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, to worship him.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so as to have the right to approach the tree of life and to enter the gates of the city.